Monarda plant named ‘MON0012BFR’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Monarda  plant named ‘MON0012BFR’, characterized by its broadly upright plant habit; dark green-colored leaves; freely flowering habit; large inflorescences with light purple-colored flowers; long flowering period; and tolerance to Powdery Mildew.

Botanical designation: Monarda didyma.

Cultivar denomination: ‘MON0012BFR’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Monardaplant, botanically known as Monarda didyma, typically grown a containerplant and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘MON0012BFR’.

The new Monarda plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands. The objectiveof the breeding program is to create new Monarda plants with attractiveflowers and tolerance to Powdery Mildew.

The new Monarda plant originated from an open-pollination during thesummer of 2013 of an unnamed selection of Monarda didyma, not patented,as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Monardadidyma, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Monarda plant wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant fromwithin the progeny of the stated open-pollination grown in a controllednursery environment in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands during the summer of2014.

Asexual reproduction of the new Monarda plant by cuttings in Zuidwolde,The Netherlands, since June, 2016 has shown that the unique features ofthis new Monarda plant are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Monarda have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variancein genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘MON0012BFR’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘MON0012BFR’ as a new and distinct Monardaplant:

-   -   1. Broadly upright plant habit.    -   2. Dark green-colored leaves.    -   3. Freely flowering habit.    -   4. Large inflorescences with light purple-colored flowers.    -   5. Long flowering period.    -   6. Tolerant to Powdery Mildew.

Plants of the new Monarda differ primarily from plants of the femaleparent selection in plant uniformity as plants of the new Monarda aremore uniform than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Monarda can be compared to plants of Monarda didyma‘Prarienacht’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of thenew Monarda differ from plants of ‘Prarienacht’ in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Monarda are more freely flowering and have        larger flowers than plants of ‘Prarienacht’.    -   2. Plants of the new Monarda flower for a longer period of time        than plants of ‘Prarienacht’.    -   3. Flowers of plants of the new Monarda are not persistent        whereas flowers of plants of ‘Prarienacht’ are persistent.    -   4. Plants of the new Monarda are more tolerant to Powdery Mildew        than plants of ‘Prarienacht’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Monarda plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Monarda plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘MON0012BFR’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of theupper surface of typical leaves of ‘MON0012BFR’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view oftypical inflorescences of ‘MON0012BFR’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown during the late summer in 21-cmcontainers in a polyethylene-covered structure in Zuidwolde, TheNetherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Monardaproduction. During the production of the plants, day temperatures rangedfrom 12° C. to 25° C. and night temperatures ranged from 4° C. to 15° C.Plants were two years old when the photographs and the description weretaken. In the detailed description, color references are made to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Monarda didyma ‘MON0012BFR’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Monarda            didyma, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Monarda            didyma, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—By cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About two weeks at            temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About two            months at temperatures about 20° C.        -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically            creamy white in color, actual color of the roots is            dependent on substrate composition, water quality,            fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and            physiological age of roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; broadly            upright plant habit, flattened globular plant form; overall            plant form, obovate; moderately vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 45.9 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 66.5 cm.        -   Lateral branch description.—Branching habit: Freely basal            branching habit with about eleven main stems, each main stem            with about eight lateral branches. Length: About 22.7 cm.            Diameter: About 4 mm. Internode length: About 6 cm.            Strength: Strong. Aspect: About 35° from vertical. Texture            and luster: Sparsely to moderately pubescent; slightly            glossy. Color: Close to 144A; color becoming closer to 143B            with development.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 10.4 cm.        -   Width.—About 7 cm.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Apex.—Apiculate.        -   Base.—Truncate.        -   Margin.—Serrate.        -   Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Moderately to            densely pubescent and slightly rugose; matte.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Fragrance.—Moderately fragrant; pleasant, spicy.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 143A.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to between 143B and            144A. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to between            NN137A and 147A; venation, close to 144A. Fully expanded            leaves, lower surface: Close to 137B; venation, close to            145C.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture,            upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Texture,            lower surface: Densely pubescent; slightly glossy. Color,            upper surface: Close to 144B; occasionally tinged with close            to 183A. Color, lower surface: Close to 145A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower form, arrangement and flowering habit.—Single labiate            flowers arranged in large terminal globular spikes; flowers            sessile; flowers face outwardly; freely flowering habit with            about 280 flowers developing per inflorescence and about            25,000 flowers developing per plant during the flowering            season.        -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering habit, plants            flower from late spring into the summer in The Netherlands.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers maintain good substance            for about one week on the plant; flowers not persistent.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2.2 cm. Diameter: About 3.5 min.            Shape: Narrowly oblanceolate; curved. Texture and luster:            Densely pubescent; matte. Color: Close to N78A; distally,            close to N81A; immature calyx, close to 157C to 157D and            148A.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 6.3 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 8.3 cm.        -   Flower length (vertical).—About 2.1 cm.        -   Flower diameter (horizontal).—About 6 mm.        -   Flower depth (height).—About 3.8 cm.        -   Petals.—Arrangement: Labiate; upper lip hooded; lower lip, a            single lobe; lips fused 66% of total length. Length, upper            and lower lips: About 3.3 cm. Width, upper lip: About 2 mm.            Width, lower lip: About 6 mm. Shape, upper lip: Lanceolate;            apex, narrowly acute. Shape, lower lip: Oblanceolate; apex,            obtuse. Margin, upper and lower lips: Entire; lower petal,            slightly undulate. Texture and luster, upper and lower lips,            upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Texture and luster,            upper and lower lips, lower surface: Densely pubescent;            matte. Color, upper and lower lips: When opening, upper and            lower surfaces: Close to NN78A. Fully opened, upper and            lower surfaces: Close to N78A; color becoming closer to            between N78C and N82C with development.        -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five in a single whorl;            lower 85% fused into a tubular calyx. Length: About 1 cm.            Width: About 1 mm. Apex: Acute. Margin: Free parts, entire.            Texture and luster, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; upper            edge of tube, moderately pubescent; matte. Texture and            luster, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous; upper edge of tube,            moderately pubescent; slightly glossy. Color: When opening,            upper surface: Close to 157C to 157D; free parts, close to            148A and tinged with close to N77C to N77D. When opening,            lower surface: Close to 157C to 157D; free parts, close to            148A. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 157C to 157D;            free parts, close to 148A and tinged with close to N77C to            N77D. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to N148A; stripes,            close to N77C and N77D; proximally, close to 157D.        -   Inflorescence bracts.—Quantity and arrangement: About 44 at            the base of inflorescence. Length: About 1.9 cm. Width:            About 1.3 cm. Shape: Broadly ovate to lanceolate; apex,            acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth,            glabrous; velvety. Texture, lower surface: Densely            pubescent; velvety. Color: When opening and fully opened,            upper surface: Close to between N186C and 187A and 137B.            When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 146C            tinged with close to 187A and 137C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Two.            Filament length: About 1 cm. Filament color: Close to 76B;            distally, close to 76D to lighter than 76D. Anther length:            About 2 mm. Anther shape: Narrowly elliptic. Anther color:            Close to 203A. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close            to 11D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length:            About 3.2 cm. Stigma shape: Cleft, unequal. Stigma color:            Close to 93B. Style length: About 3 cm. Style color: Close            to 93B to lighter than 93B. Ovary color: Close to 144A to            144B.        -   Seed and fruit.—Seed and fruit production have not been            observed on plants of the new Monarda.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Monarda have been    observed to be tolerant to Powdery Mildew (Erysiphe cichoracearum).    Plants of the new Monarda not been observed to be resistant to pests    and other pathogens common to Monarda plants.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Monarda have exhibited good    tolerance to rain, wind and high temperatures about 40° C. and to be    hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 5.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Monarda plant named ‘MON0012BFR’ asillustrated and described.